I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cover with novel hold down means and pivotally mounted to an open bed of a vehicle.
II. Description of the Prior Art
Vehicles with open beds, for example pickup trucks, have enjoyed widespread acceptance due primarily to their convenience for carrying relatively large articles. The open bed of the vehicle commonly includes a pair of upwardly extending sidewalls while the backwall of the passenger cabin forms the frontwall of the bed. A rear hitch or gate also forms the backwall of the bed. The relatively large bed permits relatively large articles to be transported by the vehicle which could not otherwise be transported in a passenger car.
One disadvantage of such vehicles, however, is that the bed is open which exposes the contents of the bed, if any, to rain, snow and the like which may damage the contents of the bed. Moreover, the open bed displays the contents contained therein and virtually invites the theft of valuable articles being carried by the vehicle.
One previously known method of protecting the contents of the bed from the elements and possible theft has been to cover the bed with a tarp. Typically, the tarp is lashed or tied down to both sidewalls of the bed by strings, cords or the like. The disadvantage of these previously known tarps, however, is that both securing the tarp across the vehicle bed and opening the same is a lengthy and time consuming process thus precluding easy access to the interior of the bed.
A still further type of cover for the vehicle bed that has been previously known is a semirigid cover, typically constructed of fiber glass, and having downwardly extending portions which are received in the four corners of the vehicle bed. With the fiberglass cover placed over and in the vehicle bed, the downwardly extending portions secure the cover to the vehicle bed. The disadvantage of this type of previously known cover is that the cover must be lifted into and out from the bed in order to respectively gain access to and enclose the vehicle bed. However, these previously known covers are relatively heavy in construction and require two or more persons to manipulate them. Moreover, even when a sufficient number of persons are available to manipulate the cover, the cover is nevertheless awkward and time consuming in both its placement on the vehicle bed and in its removal therefrom.
In still further vehicle covers, hold down means are inserted into the stake holes in the sidewalls of the vehicle bed in order to secure the cover to the bed. These previously known hold down means, however, are complicated and expensive in construction and often include means for clamping against the exterior of the bed sidewalls in order to secure the cover. Moreover, many of these previously known hold down means require the drilling of holes and other modifications to the vehicle which adversely affects the resale value of the vehicle.